Welcome from the Chair
In my role as the elected Chair of the European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Mercosur (DMER), I have the privilege of leading its meetings and steering those held, in cities alternating between Europe and Latin America, with our counterparts from the legislative bodies of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
DMER's main objective will be to make a positive contribution to the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement during the European Parliament's current term (2019-2024). This achievement, the result of negotiations that have lasted more than a decade, will pave the way towards the creation of the largest free trade area in the world.
In addition to the Association Agreement, we will focus on other areas of shared cooperation such as culture, education, research and innovation as well as entrepreneurship, so as to not only bring our economic blocs closer together, but our societies and people too. DMER will also strengthen inter-parliamentary relations between the European Parliament and Mercosur assembly, Parlasur, as well as the legislatures of individual Mercosur countries.
Jordi Cañas